X-Message-Number: 1588
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 93 01:04:27 CST
From: Brian Wowk <>
Subject: CRYONICS: reincarnation, etc.

        Regarding the recent discussion about neurosuspension; I believe 
disembodied brains are less disturbing than disembodied heads.  I always 
describe neurosuspension as "suspension of the brain," and only mention 
that the brain is kept within the head as a "protective container" if 
asked about details.  I do not believe this is at all deceptive.  On the 
contrary, it is very accurate since the brain, after all, is what we are 
*really* after in a neurosuspension.  Retention of the surrounding 
tissues is more of a surgical detail than anything else.
 
        Describing neurosuspension as brain suspension also defuses 
concerns about bringing people back as disembodied heads.  When you talk 
about preserving brains, it's pretty clear to most people that some kind 
of transplant or tissue regeneration will be necessary to get a person 
back at the far end of the process.
 
        Manipulating brains within and between bodies is perceived as a 
much more benign activity than doing the same with heads.  As evidence, 
I cite the fact that a few years ago a TV movie was made that depicted 
the successful brain transplant of an accident victim in a very 
favorable light.  By contrast, head transplants are the stuff of B grade 
horror flicks.
 
----------
 
        Regarding Charles Platt's question about reincarnation on the 
Faith Daniels show: These kinds of "afterlife" questions are very simple 
to deal with.  The answer is that cryonics patients are *not dead*, 
period.  A person is not dead until the information within their brain 
is irretrievably lost.  Cryonics patients (optimistically) do not fall 
into this category.  Cryonics patients are properly regarded as being in 
a comatose state, and therefore not subject to any thorny supernatural 
conundrums.
 
        I think that misunderstanding of this issue, by the way, was one 
of the unfortunate deficits of the Omni article. 
 
                                                        --- Brian Wowk

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